back to article Germany formally drops ‘treason’ case against Netzpolitik journos

The German justice ministry has formally announced the end of a treason investigation aimed at two journalists. Markus Beckedahl and Andre Meister, editors at Netzpolitik.org, were under investigation for publishing leaked documents relating to national surveillance plans. The first, published in February, uncovered a €2.75m …

  1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

    And cue ...

    The downfall parody of the Merkel explaining to the prosecutor exactly how stupid this makes her complaints about the NSA look

  2. Spaceman Spiff

    The German government should pay these journalists about $100,000,000 (or equivalent in Euros) for this egregious violation of their civil rights. Sorry, not holding my breath...

  3. teebie

    Does "Protection of the Constitution" mean something very different in Germany?

    1. Charlie Clark Silver badge

      Yes, it is an explicitly political office related to how the Nazis were able to seize power because the mainstream didn't do enough to stop them.

      You get a better gist of the meaning with something like "Office for the Defence of the Realm".

      1. Chris G

        Geheimer?

        What do they call the 'Secret State Police ' nowadays?

        I'm sure there must be an equivalent, though maybe not dressed in black fedoras and full length leather coats.

        1. Charlie Clark Silver badge

          Re: Geheimer?

          What do they call the 'Secret State Police ' nowadays?

          There isn't one. The BND (Bundesnachrichtendienst) is literally Signals Intelligence but with a relatively small remit. The post-war powers heavily neutered the German state, whilst ensuring themselves special powers, which is one of the reasons why Germany cannot effectively investigate the NSA.

          Recently, however, along with secret services everywhere, the various agencies are using the vague threat of terrorism to get their remits and budgets massively expanded: reds jihadists under the bed.

  4. Graham Marsden

    “Now would be the right time to discuss improved whistleblower protection..."

    "...but is very probably not going to happen because National Surveillance Security is so much more important that Civil Liberties and Freedom of Expression."

    FTFY

  5. Charlie Clark Silver badge
    Stop

    The German justice ministry has formally announced the end of a treason investigation aimed at two journalists.

    Nope, it wasn't ministry but the Office of the Attorney General based on research done by the ministry.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      yeah, after pulling out a second research out of their hat in the weekend

  6. Havin_it
    Joke

    Just one question:

    What does "auf Deutsch" mean?

    I followed the link next to it, but that didn't help as it's all in German.

    1. Brandon 2

      Re: Just one question:

      I see what you did there

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Just one question:

      auf Deutsch == in German (though it's more in aweful bureaucrat's lingo)

      Headline of the press announcement by the chief fed. att says: Investigations against suspicion of punishable publishing of a state's secret closed.

      All in all the text says: The Ministry of Justice and their *new* federal attorney came to the conclusion no state secrets were published by netzpolitik.org. Although the investigations and the charge for violation of keeping secrets against the leaker will not be dropped.

      ---

      Well, it's not really seen as a victory for free speech over here but a warning of our government towards future whistleblowers and intimidation of the press, and after all the leak was about financing plans of the office of the protection of the constition to eaves drop on all Germans online (which is actually illegal according to our constition).

      Furthermore it seems information was passed between the different agencies and ministries like interior and justice before the former fed. att.charged netzpolitik.org and their anonymous source for treason some time before. Of course without informing the ministers in charge... of course.

      There are too different internal reports contradicting each other if the case is seen as treason or not. An independent one the former attorney based his charges upon and a new one by the Ministry of Justice from last weekend.

      Now the fed.minister of justice "retired" (we call it a pawn sacrifce over here) his former chief fed.attorney, announced a new one who instantly dropped the charge.

      Last but not least, Markus Beckedahl and André Meister were refused to have a look into their case files to see if they were under surveillance. It was refused of being a secret.

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